Thread: ?? re: Killing the edge

I always joint the edge before the final hone and before the final laps.

As you hone through a progression, you will develop a burr or fin on the edge. If the razor is vintage, had issues, chips, deep random stria on the bevel or needed edge reprofiling, those issues will cause a microscopic burr to form and make an uneven edge.

I cut them off, by jointing on the corner of the stone. One lite stroke on the corner will cut off any burr and leave a straight edge.

The bevels are already flat and in the proper plane, so getting them to meet again is a simple process of 10-15 laps. I then strop the blade on linen, I use flax firehose, to remove any micro flashing from the corners of edge.

This little extra step that takes literally a minute, ensures that the edge is straight and clean. I then do the required finish laps on a clean straight edge.

If you Kill the edge on a fingernail, or glass you roll the edge or rip it off. If you cut into the fingernail, you may straighten the edge flashing sides, by pulling it through the two pieces of fingernail. Much like pulling a piece of paper between thumb and forefinger. It will straighten the fin from the sides, but not the edge. It may also microscopically rip pieces of the burr from the edge.

It is more effective to cut the edge off microscopically, then just get the bevels to meet again, at the already straight edge.

The goal of a keen, comfortable shaving edge is making the edge as straight as possible. So, make the edge straight first.